Violin or similar instrument.



No. 628,993. Patented July l8, I899. F. SCHMIDT.

VIOLIN UR SIMILAR lNSTRUMENT.

(Application filed Mar. 23, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH SCHMIDT, OF MILWVAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

VIOLIN OR SIMILAR INSTRUMENT.

SPEOiFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,993, dated July 18, 1899.

Application filed March 23, 1899. Serial No. 710 208- (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Violins and Similar Instruments; and Idohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to improve tone quality and power of violins and other orchestral instruments of like character that are naturally harsh in tone and deficient in vibration; but while it is especially-designed to impart cultivated tone and increased power to inferior instruments it may also be utilized to enhance the power of soft-toned superior instruments. Therefore it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of partshereinafterparticularly set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings represent-s a plan view of a portion of a violin and illustrates myinvention in connection therewith. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section indicated by lines 2 2 in the preceding figure.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents the breast, B the back, 0 the bridge, and D the sounding-post, of a violin or similar instrument.

Between the ends of the sounding-post and the breast and back of the instrument I in' terpose plates E F, of soft metal, preferably lead. The plate E, between breast A and sounding-post D of the instrument, is shown as preferably slightly oblique in a direction transversely of the instrument toward the bridge, and it is positioned far enough in the slightly oblique in a direction longitudinally of said instrument from right to left, this disposition of said plates serving to increase vibration of the instrument. The plates may be made fast to the ends of the sounding-post by copper tacks. If the instrument is not to be opened for the purpose of placing the plates, the latter are made of such dimensions as will permit of their being put in said instrument through the aforesaid f hole, the thickness of said plates being more or less, according to the natural tone quality, power, or both, of an instrument in which they are snugly fitted against the inside of the breast and back.

By the utilization of soft-metal plates in the arrangement specified I have found that a cultivated tone may be imparted to an otherwise harsh instrument, while at the same time the power of said instrumentisincreased. The soft-metal plates are particularly applicable in new instruments to impart cultivated tone and increase of vibration or power.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. A violin or similar orchestral instrument provided with soft-metal tone-plates interposed between the sounding-post and the breast and back of the instrument, the breast tone-plate being oblique in a direction transversely of said instrument, while the back tone-plate is oblique in a direction longitudinally of the aforesaid instrument from right to left.

2. Aviolin or similar orchestral instrument provided with soft-metal tone-plates interposed between the sounding-post and the breast and back of the instrument, the upper tone-plate being in rear of the bridge-line between the center of said instrument and right f hole of same.

3. A violin or similar orchestral instrument provided with a soft-metal tone-plate interposed between the sounding-post and back longitudinally of the latter somewhat oblique from right to left, and another soft-metal tone-plate between said sounding-post and breast of the instrument obliquely in a direction transversely of said instrument back of the bridge-line intermediate of the right f hole and center of the aforesaid instrument.

4. A Viol-in orsimilar orchestral instrument provided with a tone-plate interposed between the sounding-post and back, and another tene-plate between said sounding-post and l the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisbreast of the instrument obliquely in a (licousin, in the presence of two witnesses. rection transversely of said instrument back i i W of the bridge-line intermediate of the right LRIEDRK'H SCHMID 5 fhole anclcenterof the aforesaid instrument. I Witnesses:

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I N. E. OLIPHAXL have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in I B. C. ROLO'FR 

